David Lee is one of my very favorite humorist poets. Although many of the poems in “My Town” are poems he includes in “Legacy of Shadows” they are still fun to read and to re-read! He fill us in on all the goings-on around his town!

A family is attacked in their home by a drug crazed madman. They all survive, even though the dad has a heart attack during the attack, but they are not the same. Mom and dad see the attack as a wake up call and focus more on each other. The three kids do not do so well. Mimi, the oldest, is going through a divorce and she shuts down. She spends her days in front of the tv. Jeremy, who hid in the basement during the attack, becomes withdrawn and begins stalking a girl from school. Fifteen year old Paulie starts dating a college stoner and sneaking out of the house. She has nightmares and is now scared of the dark. Their stories are told in alternating poems from Jeremy and Paulie.

This was a story about a family dealing with tragedy. Instead of bringing them together it splintered them into separate beings. Each went their own way and retreated from life. It is a tragic story, but beautifully told. I think the free verse style really works here. The sparse language really drives home the emotions of Jeremy and Paulie.

Philip Levine is an award winning poet and the reason I like reading him is because he makes his poetry so easy to understand for the simple lay person like myself. Poetry should not be difficult to read or to understand and Levine delivers.

Rita Dove is well worth reading. These are “story” poems and can be understood by the ordinary person as a biography. At the back of the book she offers a chronlogy of the lives of Thomas and Beulah to give the reader a sense of the era in history and the time span of their lives.

I fell in love with poet David Lee the very first time I read him! The people he talks about in his poetry are all people I have known in my lifetime at one time or another. He uses the vernacular of the people of his region which makes his writing all the more interesting and humorous. If you’ve never read David Lee I highly recommend him. If nothing else please check out his poem “Pain” on page 266. It really hits home!

Addie is tall, loud, outspoken and socially conscious. This does not make her popular. In fact, her tendency to always say what she thinks makes her decidedly unpopular. But Addie has a great supportive family and group of friends. She is dating a popular boy, but they keep breaking up and getting back together. This book covers the trials and tribulations and triumphs of Addie’s seventh grade year. The story is told through a variety of poems in different styles each depicting a different moment in the life of Addie.

Addie is an interesting girl and very realistic and the poems really work for telling her story. Addie seems like your average middle school girl, maybe a little more aware of what is happening in the world and a little more outspoken than most, but still your average girl going through what all middle school girls go through. I really enjoyed the sections on her grandma; they were fun and touching. I think Addie is a girl lots of girls will enjoy reading about.

Ann Turner has written a poetic narrative about a summer in her childhood. This touching & horrifying look at a summer filled with terror not joy, as Ann is molested by an older boy in the neighborhood. Fear of being hurt by the boy she kept her secret until her mother got it out of her. Not only did Ann have to learn to swim that summer, she had to learn to trust again.

Ann Turner has written a Teen poetry book about first love. The poems are like a diary as they follow a young girl as she meets a boy, starts dating him, falls in love and of course, has heart wrenching breakup.

When I think of Jewel, recording artist immediately comes to mind. Writing most of her own music, it seems like a natural transition into poetry. A Night Without Armor explores Jewel’s personal life, such as, love, family betrayal, divorce and living in Alaska. Like her music, Jewel has complied a thoughtful and entertaining book of poems.

Scattered Poems by Jack Kerouac is book of poetry Jack wrote on the spur of the moment if you will. The poems were collected from various underground sources and some of his best and unusual works. Also included is a poem called , “Pull My Daisy” and the many different versions it was written.

Finale, is the conclusion to the Singer trilogy, where the Singer battles the World Hater and Terra One is destroyed and Terra Two is born for the new beginning. The final book follows the book of Revelation. All three books are very good prose and highly recommended.

The Song, by Calvin Miller, is the sequel to The Singer. The first book focuses on the Gospels and the Second book is from the Book of Acts and depicts the everyday man and the ridicule he and others receive following the Singer.

Simply put, Calvin Miller has written an allegorical poem telling the life of Jesus Christ. This book will stand the test of time and will be used over again in churches and schools. I’ve read the poem many times and never tire of it.

Ogden Nash definitely likes the sound of words. Often I did not understand the words he used and was not sure if they were from another language or make up by him. Many words were evidently made up by the author for sound and to fit the subject. He has had a wide variety of interesting jobs, giving him a rich, varied outlook on many things. This background enhances the richness of these delightful verses. Titles range from “Bet You a Nickel My Unhappiness Can Lick Your Unhappiness” to “Coefficients of Expansion” – humorous and thought-provoking.

Angel was an ordinary girl who just happened to like stealing shoes. Not pairs of shoes just the one shoe on display. One day she is caught by Call. He doesn’t turn her in but he introduces her to “candy” and once she is hooked he takes her in. Then he makes her prove her love to him by being nice to his friends, then he sends her to the streets to earn money. Angel has been working her corner for a while now, but her friend Serena goes missing and Angel knows she didn’t run away because she left her money with Angel. Other girls have gone missing too. Angel decides to quit the candy. Then Call brings home Melli and tells Angel she has to teach Melli the ropes. But Melli is just eleven, a little girl, and Angel doesn’t want her to experience what she has. So she must earn enough for two in order to save Melli. She is determined to get out, but Call threatens to hurt her brother Jeremy.

This was a powerful book. The poetry is a perfect format for this story. Angel’s voice comes through so clearly with all her pain and determination. It is a haunting story that will leave you with questions, and it will keep you thinking about it for a long time.

The Scopes Trial in Dayton, Tennessee was a battle over evolution. Specifically, John Scopes, a teacher at the high school taught a class on evolution that violated the State’s Butler Act prohibiting such acts. Scopes was put on trial and it quickly became a circus. Clarence Darrow defended Scopes and William Jennings Bryan was the lawyer for the prosecution. The trial made headlines around the world. Ringside is told from the perspective of several people affected by the trial. Most are citizens of Dayton, ranging from a high school student to the sheriff to local men and women.

This was a fascinating book about a fascinating historical incident. I had heard about the Scopes Trial, but really didn’t know any details. These verses clearly show how the trial came to be, what happened during the trial, what the people thought and how ridiculous it all was. The trial is like no trial we know of today. The judge seemed to have absolute power and ruled the courtroom how he wanted. The jury was pretty much ineffective and not allowed to see evidence or hear testimony. they really had no choice but to declare a guilty verdict. It was fascinating!

Eleanor is having a very bad summer. Her babysitter, Bibi, has moved away. Her parents force her to get another babysitter, Natalie. Natalie is not Bibi, but she understands what Eleanor is going through. By the end of the summer, Eleanor has accepted Natalie and had a letter from Bibi so things are looking up.

This is a fun little book. I really enjoyed Eleanor’s story. The verse works really well and definitely translates what Eleanor is going through. I also enjoyed the illustrations. They are fun and silly.

Yeung Ying is a young Chinese girl living in Hong Kong in the 1960s. She likes to write stories and hates doing math. She writes letters for her family members, many of whom can’t write. She dreams of being a writer someday. This collection of poems tells her story as she discovers who she wants to be and what she wants to do with her life. I think they really invoke her love of her family and her desire to be someone someday. This collection is short and sweet and easy to read. Lovely novel in verse.

When fourteen-year-olds Wren and Darra meet at a Michigan summer camp, both are overwhelmed by memories from six years earlier when Darra’s father stole a car, unaware that Wren was hiding in the back. A verse novel, with hidden messages contained within the writing..

Don’t let the cover fool you,this is Not a book about fairies or mermaids, but about straight-up life. It is a mystery with multiple layers.